Foreign Minister Murray McCully has welcomed today’s announcement by the Japanese Government that its whaling fleet will stop whaling in the Southern Ocean and return home.

“The New Zealand Government and public strongly oppose whaling in the Southern Ocean. Clearly the withdrawal of the fleet is something that we welcome,” Mr McCully said.

“I hope that the early cessation of whaling for this season will allow time for constructive dialogue to resolve the international impasse on whaling issues.

“Our objective is to achieve a framework that provides for the permanent elimination of whaling in the Southern Ocean. It is our hope that we will have the opportunity to pursue this now through further discussion.